School status: okay so far

[cjsmith]

I think the biology lab exam went well. There were various stations set up around the room, each with an image or object to observe and a handful of questions to answer about it. I got out of there in about twenty minutes. The prof said that that must be some kind of record for speed. In my defense, it was the kind of thing where spending time to think would not help. I either knew the answer or I didn't, and sitting there for a while wouldn't change a thing.

If I can get all my chem work done today -- homework for Monday along with the lab writeup also due Monday -- I can go to a Halloween party tonight. I already said I would show up, too, so I'm logging out of here in three... two... one...

Comments

[tiger-spot.livejournal.com]

Go, go, go!

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

I'm, um, bringing the lab writeup with me to the square dance weekend. *sheepish look* :-)

[quasigeostrophy.livejournal.com]

it was the kind of thing where spending time to think would not help. I either knew the answer or I didn't, and sitting there for a while wouldn't change a thing.

That t-shirt is well-worn. :-) I've lost track of how many exams in which I've done that.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

That's for sure. Now physics, there's a chance thinking will help. I can fuss with units to see if I know how to do the problem that way. I can get halfway through a problem and come back to it. I can recheck my math. But if I see a picture of Trypanosoma in a human blood smear, either I know that's what it is or I don't, and if I don't, nothing is going to make those purple squiggles and red circles make any more sense.

[quasigeostrophy.livejournal.com]

Now physics, there's a chance thinking will help.

In specific applied physics classes I've gone both ways with this. In atmospheric thermo, I forgot an equation in the middle of one of the problems and ended up deriving it right there on the test. In atmospheric dynamics, on the final, we had two hours. I was done with all but one derivation problem in 70 minutes. Sat there for another 5 minutes and decided I wasn't going to remember how to derive the thermal wind equation from what was given in the problem and so turned in the test.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that's about it. I can often derive an equation on a test -- I sat for a while reconstructing trig identities during the last physics test -- but when I don't know, I just don't know.